Introduction
Hello, fellow adventurers! Blaziker is here for one final 2026 Animated Movies Rundown before embarking on my biggest animated movie adventure by heading to this year’s Annecy Film Festival. We have six to cover, and most of them featured at either last year’s or in one movie’s case this year’s festival, so let’s get to them, shall we?
The first movie, Death Does not Exist, is an experimental animated movie about a mercenary who flees into the forest after a failed assassination to find a mysterious alter ego, who brings her to a valley where she revisits her choices leading up to the assassination. Death Does Not Exist premiered at both the Cannes Film Festival and the Annecy Film Festival last year to a somewhat lukewarm reception, but that is not stopping me from seeing this movie despite being quite hard to find. Is this search worth it?
The second movie, Dandelion’s Odyssey, centres on two dandelion balls escaping from a nuclear explosion in their habitats as they travel to new lands to find a new home for the survival of their species. Yet another anticipated animated movie for the 2026 season, despite its low 3.2 Letterboxd score, that is not stopping me from covering another atmospheric animated movie Ina similar vein to Flow. Will this journey be worth the hassle?
The third movie, My Life in Versailles, is a movie adaptation of an animated series, focusing on an orphan girl who moved to her uncle’s place, where he worked in the Palace of Versailles as a maintenance worker. Throughout their time together, the girl has to learn to live through her challenges as she continues living with her uncle and discovers life in Versailles. My Life in Versailles is another one of these top-quality French family-friendly animated movies that I somehow got access to, so will this be yet another family-friendly animated movie worth checking out?
The fourth movie, Animal Farm, is the 2025 movie adaptation of George Orwell’s dystopia satire about the animals taking over their farm, only for the evil Napoleon the pig to usurp power as the corrupt leader of the farm. I got to be honest, ever since its debut at last year’s Annecy Film Festival, the reviews of it had been middling, to say the least. It also did not help that Angel Studios, the much-hated American Christian media distributor, ended up picking up this movie, making this their least Christian-feeling movie ever. I have avoided most Angel Studios animated movies, but now I seem to have no choice but to cover this one. Will this be a complete disaster?
The fifth movie, I Am Frankelda, centres on a Mexican writer from the 19th Century, who travels in the form of a ghost to a kingdom of her own invention inhabited by monstrous characters she created from her stories. I had been excited about this movie ever since its debut at last year’s Annecy Film Festival, but it took some time before Netflix picked it up for an international release with its release just before Toy Story 5. Unfortunate timing aside, will this movie deliver on its high praises as part of my 12 into 2026 article?
The sixth and final movie, The Last Whale Singer, is a German animated movie about a teenage humpback whale on a journey of self-discovery to find a mystical song that could save the oceans from environmental destruction. Considering my long-time frustration over how mediocre the German animation industry is to me, and that I was not so impressed by its trailer so far, I had noticed some positive reception over this movie, which is quite shocking. Even more shocking, this movie is getting shown at this year’s Annecy Film Festival in the Annecy Presents category, so the question is: is The Last Whale Singer worthy of being shown at Annecy?
Alright then, let’s get on to this Annecy throwback!
Death Does not Exist
Key Information
- Director: Félix Dufour-Laperrière
- Animation Studio: Miyu Productions
- Country of Origin: Canada, France, and Belgium
- Rating: NC16
- Release date: 1 October 2025 (in France)
Trailer
The Review
Considering Death Does Not Exist has a Letterboxd score of only 3.0, which is low for a Competition movie from the 2025 Annecy Film Festival, I can understand why it has such a low Letterboxd score, because this movie is clearly not for everyone. At the same time, however, this makes the high level of experimentation in both its writing and animation style so important because without taking high risks, we cannot advance what is possible in today’s animation scene.
To start off with the writing, this is a story that is quite cryptic to most regular moviegoers, which may put them off watching this movie. However, at the same time, this surrealistic character study into life and death that also blend into other messages spoke out to me as a high-risk story that, while lacking in character development, showcases the writers’ gutsy approach into poignant and relevant topics. It blew my mind that despite its short 73-minute runtime, there was a lot to unpack in the movie that felt confusing to me, but once I am able to piece it all together, this bold writing made sense. Considering how often moviegoers are spoon-fed the story so often, it’s refreshing to see one that challenges moviegoers for once.
However, the animation style is what won me over. This monochromatic feel is super rare, even when compared to other top-tier animated movies mainly produced in France, but the blending of this hand-drawn technique into such unique colouring resulted in a striking animation style with so many unique animation sequences that makes Death Does Not Exist stand out from its competition. In fact, this animation style fits into the movie’s writing so easily, and that is what makes the animation in Death Does Not Exist so powerful.
The other elements are pretty good but nothing to write home about; as for my level of enjoyment, while this movie frustrates me at times, once I get the hang of it, I appreciate Death Does Not Exist for pushing boundaries into what is possible in animation, which I cannot say for some animated movies out there. It is not for me, but I enjoy the puzzle this movie provides to me.
Overall, while Death Does Not Exist will divide its audience, it will have its legion of fans who enjoy this movie for pushing the boundaries into what is possible in today’s animation scene, and why we need more experimentation in today’s animation scene. It feels more like a Contrechamp movie than a Competition movie in the Annecy Film Festival sense, but it works quite decently!
Blaziker’s Hot Sauce Rating
Dandelion’s Odyssey
Key Information
- Director: Momoko Seto
- Animation Studio: Miyu Productions
- Country of Origin: Belgium and France
- Rating: PG
- Release date: 11 March 2026 (in France)
Trailer
The Review
Dandelion’s Odyssey was on my radar when I saw the lineup at last year’s Annecy Film Festival, and I am happy to report that it is another animated movie that deserves to be featured at last year’s Festival.
In terms of the negatives so that I can talk more about the positives, this movie is definitely not for everyone, especially since its slow pacing could be a huge turn-off for certain audiences. This is an animated movie that takes its time to establish its world-building and its characters, not to mention its experimental storytelling that can be too pretentious or too similar to other similar movies, like Flow, for instance.
However, I will argue that the positives in Dandelion’s Odyssey outweighs the negatives. While the pacing is slow, this movie rewards its audience for their patience with how atmospheric and immersive this movie is, which puts it above animated movies that are so low-quality, that they only serve to waste your time. With the “characters” being dandelion balls, there is a bit of a human connection with the rebirth of flora and fauna on the new planet. The ending of this movie might be somewhat abrupt, but it actually makes sense when the ending ties up whatever loose ends this movie has, resulting in a strong finish.
The animation is equally spectacular. There is so much beauty and wonder with the movie’s backgrounds (which are mostly live action sequences), and the hybrid style felt so seamless together. The hybrid style might not be as bold as the one in Iggy the Eagle, but for the director’s first movie, Dandelion’s Odyssey is such a beautiful and picturesque animated movie worth seeing.
However, the movie’s X-factor comes in the form of its soundtrack. For silent or nonverbal animated movies, the soundtrack plays an important role to create the atmosphere for the movie, and in this case, the soundtrack is easily one of the best animated movie soundtracks of 2026 so far. With different usage of a variety of instruments (including Indonesian gamelan music), it creates different types of atmospheres for the movie to blend into, resulting in a bigger impact for this movie. As for my level of enjoyment, this movie moved me a lot, and while it is not in the same league as some of the other and better animated movies of this year, I appreciate Dandelion’s Odyssey for once again igniting my faith in animated movies.
Overall, I am happy with what Dandelion’s Odyssey provided. While not for everyone, this movie aim for the bushes and succeeded easily. This is one Odyssey you do not want to miss!
Blaziker’s Hot Sauce Rating
My Life in Versailles
Key Information
- Directors: Clemence Madeleine-Perdrillat and Nathaniel H’limi
- Animation Studios: Melusine Productions and Miyu Productions
- Country of Origin: France
- Rating: PG
- Release date: 15 October 2025 (in France)
Trailer
The Review
Once again, as what I discussed when I covered similar French family-friendly animated movies, such as Little Amelie last year, I believed France knows how to produce family-friendly animated movies better than most other countries, and the biggest reason was that these French animation studios often took their time to craft up the screenplay in a way that respects its audience well. That is also the case with My Life in Versailles.
Just like other French family-friendly animated movies, such as Sirocco and the Kingdom of the Winds back in 2024, My Life in Versailles tackle hard-hitting topics in such a tactful manner, while also providing fun moments in between to cut through the tension at the right moment. Witnessing Violette (Ema Lucas-Viguier) going through her grief of losing her parents and living with her uncle Regis (Frederic Pierrot) not only feels like a rehabilitating self-discovery into a new life, but also about some of the rich history of the Palace of the Versailles where Regis worked that keeps viewers fascinated, especially for those that had never went to the actual Palace itself (myself included). The story might be quite simple, but the execution of said story is what lets this movie shine.
This also extends to the simple but beautiful animation style. France is one of the few countries that continue to embrace hand-drawn animation to the fullest despite the rise of CG animation, and the animation itself is a joy to watch. While not as complicated, the style breathes life into the story and complete with an aesthetic that feels like it came out of a storybook rather than a corporate prospectus wasting its time trying to shpwcase animation that feels generic and badly executed. Seriously, I just wish more animated movies had charming and well-executed animation that adds a lot of wonder, like what My Life in Versailles did.
The soundtrack and minor elements are as great as the writing and animation, and as for my level of enjoyment, I was just having a lot of fun and self-thought with this movie, in spite of its rather short runtime. My Life in Versailles did not overstay its welcome and instead provided some comfort and wonder with its storytelling. Yes, I am more susceptible to simple but effective stories and animation, but that was what My Life in Versailles succeed in doing.
Overall, I have little to complain about how great My Life in Versailles did. With so many French family-friendly animated movies that treat their audience with so much respect and care, My Life in Versailles is yet another example of that. I just wish more animation studios would learn from the French in how to produce a family-friendly animated movie that even animation fans like me do not mind.
Blaziker’s Hot Sauce Rating
Animal Farm
Key Information
- Director: Andy Serkis
- Animation Studios: Aniventure, The Imaginarium and Cinesite Animation
- Country of Origin: United Kingdom
- Rating: PG
- Release date: 11 June 2026 (in Singapore)
Trailer
The Review
Knowing that going to the cinema to see this movie would mean giving away money to the terrible Christian film distributor that is Angel Studios, I decided not to give them the satisfaction it craves by covering a digital copy of it online instead of waiting to see it in theatres. Guess what? In hindsight, that was a fantastic decision because this movie adaptation is a bizarre mess!
How do I begin to explain this movie? As someone that read the original George Orwell novel as part of his lower secondary school literature class (and who also fell in love with this novel), this movie adaptation strips away the critique about Stalin-era communism that Orwell had inspiration from, and replace it with authoritarianism and capitalism in a similar vein to the current times (including a certain president I refuse to name for obvious reasons). Sure, there is a way for this change to work, but the mistake the writers went for is to make it as family-friendly as possible, missing the entire point about the brutality of the original novel that makes Animal Farm a well-loved novel. This resulted in a bizarre hodgepodge where immature comedy and unnecessary modernisation of the story take precedence over its sheer brutal message that makes the novel so important.
If, however, there is one silver lining in the terrible writing, it is that the characters have great voice acting. I was sceptical in Seth Rogan voicing Napoleon, but he did a fine job making that character as well-hated as in the novel. Woody Harrelson also voiced Boxer very well too, and it is bizarre that the last time he voice-acted, it was in Free Birds, which is a well-loved meme among the animation community. That, unfortunately, does not compensate for the bastardised writing that loses the true meaning of the original novel.
The animation is also a bit of a downgrade compared to some of Aniventure’s other animated movies, including HitPig, Riverdance: The Animated Adventure, and Stitch Head. There is some combination of realism and stylisation that the animation style is doing, which is rare in today’s animation standards to combine both styles, but I feel some of the execution is half-baked. The animation looks uncanny and had some weird animation choices, but other than that, at least I had seen worse animation in some of my other less favourable animated movies that I covered during the year so far (looking at you, The Land of Sometimes and Extinction).
The soundtrack is also weird, including a rap version of Old MacDonald’s Farm (which adds to the weird and unnecessary modernisation of the movie), and the marketing, as per Angel Studios’ abhorrent standards, is terrible. I had never felt so much rage in the marketing materials of an animated movie in a long time, but what did you expect from Angel Studios, anyway? As for my level of enjoyment, despite all that I said about Animal Farm, at the very least, it is so bizarre that it became mildly entertaining for me witnessing the madness unfolding in Animal Farm. All of these weird choices the writers, animators and everyone else chose made Animal Farm a bizarrely entertaining mess, though let’s be real, it’s not a guilty pleasure of mine since I did not enjoy the experience as much compared to the likes of The Pout-Pout Fish this year.
Overall, considering everything that went along with Animal Farm, it is a miracle that I came away somewhat amused by this movie’s existence rather than be mad about it. I might have covered animated movies that are way more sufferable than Animal Farm, but at the same time, I don’t recommend it. If you want to explore Animal Farm, just read the original Orwell novel. Thank me later.
Blaziker’s Hot Sauce Rating
I Am Frankelda
Key Information
- Director: Arturo Ambriz and Roy Ambriz
- Animation Studio: Cinema Fatasma
- Country of Origin: Mexico
- Rating: PG
- Release Date: 16 June 2026 (on Netflix)
Trailer
The Review
After being let down by endless duds of Central and South American animation, it was about damn time I covered a rare animated gem from this region, and thankfully, I Am Frankelda exceeded my wildest expectations!
There is so much I wanted to talk about how great I Am Frankelda is, but as most of these thoughts would give away the whole ball game, I am just going to contain my thoughts as much as I can. This is the rare Central and South American animated movie that is not a complete disappointment, as this horror-coded delight is full of unlimited potential and bizarre horror that brings to life the sheer creativity from the writers involved. Additionally, despite its long runtime, there were a lot of interesting moments that happen, and with the solid pacing, the writing is pretty much stellar. A few story moments require some rethink, but other than that, I am very satisfied with how amazing the writing is.
This also applies to the characters, who are filled with so much development throughout the movie’s runtime. You are with Fankelda (Mireya Mendoza) as she navigates her own imagination and her stories through a deeper sense, and as the story develops, we learnt more about her that makes Frankelda such an interesting character to understand. Guiding her is her creation and guide to her imagination, Herneval (Arturo Mercado Jr), who also has an interesting character arc that you resonate with him. In fact, there were so many unexpected turns and character moments, the level of unpredictability makes the overall writing so much fun, especially with one of the best main villains of any 2026 aniamted movie so far in Procustes (Luis Leonardo Suarez). Seriously, he is just a fantastic villain.
However, the clear standout when it comes to I Am Frankelda is the animation. Mexican stop-motion animation has been on the rise as of late, but for a while, Mexico has been reduced to nothing but generic city with so many animated movie duds, most of them coming from Ánima Estudios, one of the worst theatrical animation studios in the world in terms of overall animation output. However, the animation is a massive exception, as it is spellbinding. I could honestly point at certain animation moments and shout, “How were they able to do it?!” Even within the realm of stop-motion animation, the animators involved took the extra mile to create such a unique and grotesque animation style that is befitting of the movie’s horror-coded story. Seeing this movie, I can understand why I Am Frankelda got the stamp of approval from famed film director and animation enthusiast Guillermo del Toro, who himself already produced one of the best stop-motion animated movies of the 2020s with his take on Pinocchio that won him an Oscar. Seriously, the animation in I Am Frankelda alone deserves to be lauded.
This movie also has songs, but the songs are well-gelled into this movie, and so is the movie’s spooky score. As for my level of enjoyment, I am in a state of amazement over this movie, especially when you consider how disappointed I am at seeing endless animated movie dud after animated movie dud from Central and South American animation in general. With I Am Frankelda, however, I wanted to give Cinema Fantasma and directors Arturo Ambriz and Roy Ambriz for finally producing the very first Latin American animated movie that I can wholeheartedly recommend. This is a triumph in an already failing animation scene for such a massive diamond in the rough.
Overall, I only have one thing left to say about I Am Frankelda, and that is to see this movie in its full glory once it drops onto Netflix on 16 June 2026. Seriously, you must see this absolute gem, because this is how you motivate the Latin American animation scene to move on from producing mediocrity and produce top-quality animated movies that the animators there are proud to declare their own. I Am Frankelda is truly one of a kind!
Blaziker’s Hot Sauce Rating
The Last Whale Singer
Key Information
- Director: Reza Memari
- Animation Studios: Telescope Animation and PFX
- Country of Origin: Germany, Czechia, and Canada
- Rating: PG
- Release Date: 12 February 2026 (in Germany)
Trailer
The Review
If you had been following my adventures for some time now, I had been frustrated over how much of an animation black hole Germany is for some time now. This has been quite a recurring theme whenever I brought up this almost every time I covered an animated movie produced or co-produced in Germany, but in the case of The Last Whale Singer… I don’t mind it at all!
The Last Whale Singer stands out as a rare, competent German animated movie that nails the basic elements right, while also making attempts to stand out compared to other, more mediocre German animated movies that have ravaged the country for many years. Firstly, The Last Whale Singer is a self-discovery disguised as a shockingly heavy message on the environment that is more heavy-handed with that messaging, which already puts it above most German animated movies in terms of writing. Secondly, I actually enjoyed most of the characters in this movie, with some actually having enough distinct personalities that made me remember their moments, especially the final 30 minutes where this movie goes into something so unexpected and shocking, my perception of this movie changed for the better. It is rare that I was happy with a German animated movie; this is one of those rare moments.
The animation is also nothing to scoff at. Considering how generic most German animated movies feel, The Last Whale Singer’s animation feels less like those movies, and look closer to the best Viva Kids distributed animated movie ever with Deep Sea, with a level of realism with some of the character designs that made those designs stand out. It is also worth mentioning how decently animated The Last Whale Singer feels, as there are some beautiful animation sequences that are exceedingly rare in German animated movies. Sure, they require some help from Czech studio PFX, who was involved in another great Viva Kids distributed animated movie in Diplodocus back in 2024, but at the end of the day, the animation in The Last Whale Singer is much better compared to most German animated movies.
The music score is quite good, and the minor elements are just as competent as the entire animated movie. As for my level of enjoyment, I am pleasantly shocked to see a damn good German animated movie that at the very least is not an embarrassment to the flailing German animation industry. It is rare that I acknowledge a German animated movie that did its job correctly, but that is the case for The Last Whale Singer. I don’t take it lightly that this is one of the best German animated movies I have covered, but given how mediocre the entire German animation output is, my praise is that special.
Overall, I am happy to report that for once; I do not feel frustrated over covering a German animated movie with The Last Whale Singer. It is way more competent, made attempts to stand out, and most importantly, unlike most German animated movies, I am satisfied with the overall result. Hopefully, this is the beginning of the turning point in the German animation industry, because it can only go up from here for one of the biggest animation black holes in the world. Hopefully.
Blaziker’s Hot Sauce Rating
Conclusion
Considering my upcoming Annecy adventure, these six animated movies that appeared in last year’s edition or, in The Last Whale Singer’s case, this year, I am very happy with what those movies got to show. If that is what I am expecting to see from Annecy this year, I cannot wait to cover the movies showcasing at this year’s edition!
Thank you so much for joining me on this adventure. Considering the next time I am publishing another post, it will most likely be after my Annecy adventure, there is one more Pixar movie I need to cover before I can showcase what I was able to cover at Annecy, but be warned: it might come with the side effect of doomscrolling. Until next time, see you on the next adventure!
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